What’s the common factor between Shawshank Redemption, A series of Unfortunate Events, The Incredibles and The Man of the Year? Think hard! None (as far as I know, baka mapahiya ako haha!). But for sure there’s one common thing that Finding Nemo, Spongebob and Dyesibel share and it has something to do with underwater world.

As one of my items in my “bucket list”, it’s now time to fulfil another dream – to discover the underwater world.

Sai, a fellow photographer and the award-winning comedian from Davao who keeps on speaking to me using ‘our’ native dialect (gamay makasabot bai, dili dako. Nosebleed ako lagi) referred his officemate to me because he knew that I want to pursue diving (and eventually, underwater photography). So he introduced me to Jerric Gan, a master diver. Jerric then introduced me to James Ng; who eventually became my divemaster for the Open Water Diving Course. James handed me a thick book that I need to read and some questionnaires to answer. That’s the main ingredient for the written examination.

By the way, Sai is also a divemaster.

Theory days came, then written exam (that luckily, I was able to pass) and then the confined open water dive. It’s time to apply what I’ve read – from a book, to a deep swimming pool. But before the actual lesson started, every student performed the prerequisites of diving – swim 200m (the pool is 25m long so I had to swim 4 rounds) and float for 10 minutes. That damn first requirement made my joints soar.

Actual open water diving came. We left Singapore last Friday (April 11, 2008), travelled 3 hours to Mersing, Malaysia and rode a ferry for 4 hours to Dayang Island. We stayed 1 night in the ferry and 2 days and 1 night in the island.

The weekend was full of fun, excitement and thrill. I completed the 5 dives, including the leisure dive and I really felt extraordinary during my last weekend trip to Dayang.

 

I shared my general experience to some of my friends and to share it to all, here it is:

Every travel I had, I keep on thanking the Lord for the opportunity to travel (coz most can’t or don’t). I get to see God’s wonders, appreciate them, meet a lot of people and know different cultures, learn them and respect them. I was contemplating last weekend - there are ample kinds of calling, maybe for some this is one of our callings - to fully appreciate everything He created, conserve them and respect them as paramount service. It might be a pleasure to travel, but behind it is an utmost purpose to get in touch with His works and share those works to others. But then again, ako lang cguro eto…

I’m doing nature tripping ever since, but this time, it’s no different. The same serenity I feel everytime I spend 1 night or 2 in a mountain peak or in a beach or in a province is the same serenity I felt underwater. Sobrang kakaiba ang feeling na iyon. Kaya, sobrang saya ko last weekend.

The deepest depth I went was 60 feet (20 meters). I was with a divemaster who is so adventurous so we went all the way down without thinking that he’s with a ‘newly’ certified diver. Actually, hindi ko tinitingnan ung depth gauge ko (mostly, sa oxygen lang ako nakatingin though magkatabi lang naman un) but he’s not telling it to me that we are already in a depth advised only for advance open water divers (2nd course). Di din ako nagtanong when we had to have 5 minutes half-way stop nung paakyat. Pero nung half, I barely can’t the bottom, madilim na (though umaga naman). Nung nasa surface na kami, he asked me what’s my observation, sabi ko during the half-way stop, di ko na Makita ung bottom. Kasi nga daw, malalim na iyon.

I had 5 dives for 2 days, average of 10 meters (30 feet) for the 4 dives. I got to see clownfishes in my 3 dives (found Nemo and his family 3x haha), flat sea worms, circular seastars, trigger fish, happy fish, fighting fish, blue teng (si dory), stingrays, clams, nudibranches (caterpillar-like), big corals, porcupine fish, etc, etc, etcccccc…….. haha!

The most scenic dive I had was the 20meters dive. I felt I’m inside the aquarium. Sobrang daming corals and fishes. Waah! Cguro mas maganda pa ang scene kung mas malalim… The most memorable scene for me is - imagine a small anemone (soft coral) surrounded by BIG corals (parang ung anemone, nasa gitna ng crater). The space between those big corals is big, talagang ung anemone lang ang nasa gitna. Nung pinuntahan namin un ng divemaster ko, meron kaming nakitang 4 nemos (clownfishes), bit bigger that time. Nakakatuwa ung scene na iyon.

I’m planning to enroll for the advance open water diving on May or June. Kasi gusto ko naman maexperience deeper depth, navigation and night diving…

Musta ang diving? Wala akong masabi kundi WOW.

Next adventure - wakeboarding and bungee… Next destination, Ho Chi Minh Vietnam this weekend! Yeah!

This is “newly certified” diver Almin Manalo, now signing off. God bless everyone!